{"id":2572369,"date":"2026-02-22T09:47:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T14:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-us-planning-targeted-strikes-on-iran-regime-leaders\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T09:50:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T14:50:27","slug":"report-us-planning-targeted-strikes-on-iran-regime-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-us-planning-targeted-strikes-on-iran-regime-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: US Planning Targeted Strikes on Iran Regime Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Freport-us-planning-targeted-strikes-on-iran-regime-leaders%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2572369&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Reuters report says U.S. military planners have presented President Trump with options that could include striking Iranian leaders and perhaps <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iran-doesnt-need-to-be-made-safe-for-democracy\/\" title=\"... Doesn\u2019t Need To Be Made Safe For Democracy\">pursuing regime change<\/a> if diplomacy fails. The options are described as the latest indication that Washington is preparing for a serious conflict with Iran should talks break down. Some accounts, including USA Today, suggest a strike could come as soon as this weekend, though a diplomatic breakthrough could avert such action. the sticking point remains Trump\u2019s demand that Iran give up any enriched uranium that could be used for a nuclear weapon,even if that scenario is years away.<\/p>\n<p>The article notes a significant U.S. military buildup in the Middle East\u2014two aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines\u2014with Israel\u2019s recent actions against Iranian targets influencing American planning. It cites officials who say decapitating leadership has shown utility in past conflicts. Trump has floated regime change as a possibility, while warning that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. U.S. officials warn that Iran could retaliate against U.S. installations, Israel, and allied nations, potentially triggering a regional war. The report also references broader discussions and public comments about the risk of escalation if diplomacy fails.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Decapitating the Iranian regime is on the table as America&rsquo;s military leaders present options to President Trump, according to a new report.<\/p>\n<p>A report from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/us-strikes-iran-could-target-individual-leaders-officials-say-2026-02-20\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reuters<\/a> said planners have created options that target individuals and could go as wide as regime change. &nbsp;The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-triumphs-over-india-in-latest-success-media-said-would-never-happen\/\" title=\"... Triumphs Over India in Latest Success Media Said Would Never Happen\">report cited sources<\/a> it did not name.<\/p>\n<p>The report included an interpretation of the options as &ldquo;the latest signs that the United States is preparing for a serious conflict with Iran should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-does-nato-have-to-do-with-the-ukraine-russia-crisis\/\" title=\"What Does NATO Have To Do With The Ukraine-Russia Crisis?\">diplomatic efforts fail<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The report comes as some media accounts of what&rsquo;s taking place in the Trump White House suggest an attack could take place as soon as this weekend, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2026\/02\/21\/trump-iran-military-strike-options\/88778926007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USA Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, if talks that appear to be going nowhere break free from the mire of Iranian intransigence, an attack might never take place. The sticking point is Trump&rsquo;s insistence that Iran divest itself of any enriched uranium that it could use to make a nuclear bomb, even if that eventuality was years down the road.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>In recent days, the thought that the U.S. might lob a few missiles at Iran as a hint that Trump&rsquo;s patience was wearing thin has been tossed about.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#127470;&#127479;&#127482;&#127480; The Washington Post, citing satellite imagery, reports that the US <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >military buildup includes dozens<\/a> of fighter aircraft stationed at operational bases near Iran, along with nearly 12 warships deployed in the region. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/67UizoWLtk\">pic.twitter.com\/67UizoWLtk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Defense Intelligence (@DI313_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DI313_\/status\/2020243497996185731?\">February 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I guess I am considering that,&rdquo; Trump said when asked about the idea on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, Trump also claimed that last month, in its crackdown on anti-government protests, Iran killed 32,000 people, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/donald-trump-iran-protest-crackdown-death-toll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBS News<\/a>. The number is far higher than official estimates. Trump had warned Iran that if protesters were killed in large numbers. He would respond militarily.<\/p>\n<p>However, at the time, the U.S. had minimal military assets in the region.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#128680;&#127482;&#127480;&#127470;&#127479; &ldquo;UNPRECEDENTED&rdquo;: U.S. MILITARY BUILDUP IN MIDDLE EAST IS LARGEST IN DECADES<\/p>\n<p>Former Pentagon official:<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen a buildup like this in this region in decades.<\/p>\n<p>What we have amassed is an unprecedented size combination of land-based attack aircraft, command and&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yo54WL3DSh\">https:\/\/t.co\/yo54WL3DSh<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WDdOExi6yC\">pic.twitter.com\/WDdOExi6yC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarioNawfal\/status\/2024302836847128898?\">February 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s not the case now. Two aircraft carriers, backed by destroyers and submarines, form the core of the attack force that can be augmented with land-based fighters and bombers that have been moved to the region.<\/p>\n<p>Reuters noted that Israel&rsquo;s success last year at killing military leaders during the 12-day war with Iran has had an impact on American planners.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The 12-day war and Israeli strikes against individual targets really showed the utility of that approach,&rdquo; the U.S. official said.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said recently that regime change&nbsp;&ldquo;seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>U.S. officials have said they expect a retaliation from Iran could lead to attacks on U.S. installations, Israel, and American allies, spawning a regional war.<\/p>\n<p>Trump on Wednesday said Iran should take the &ldquo;path to peace.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They can&rsquo;t have a nuclear weapon, it&rsquo;s very simple,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Reuters report says U.S. military planners have laid out a range of options for President Trump that could target Iranian leaders and, in some scenarios, push toward regime change. The sources are unnamed, but the plan is described as evidence that Washington is preparing for a serious confrontation with Iran if diplomacy fails. Some outlets suggest an attack could come soon, while others say it might be avoided if talks stall. Trump has demanded that Iran give up any enriched uranium that could be used for a nuclear weapon, even if that risk is years away. The broader context notes a substantial U.S. military buildup in the Middle East\u2014including carriers and warships\u2014and cites Israeli actions against Iranian targets as influencing U.S. planning. Officials warn that Iran could retaliate against U.S. installations or allies, potentially sparking a regional war, while Trump has urged Iran to choose a path to peace and reiterated that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2572370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Michael-Featured-Image-722.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32404,74308,62268,74307,54349],"class_list":["post-2572369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-geopolitics","tag-iran-regime","tag-middle-east-security","tag-targeted-strikes","tag-us-iran-relations"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Michael-Featured-Image-722.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2572369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2572369"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2572369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2572373,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2572369\/revisions\/2572373"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2572370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2572369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2572369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2572369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}